ORGAN RECITAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 279, 14 August 1918, Page 3

ORGAN RECITAL

A NIGHT WITH CESAR FRANCE.

■ Mr. Bernard Page gave an organ recital last night entirely of the music of. the great Belgian or French composer, Cesar Fraubk. C'e3ar Franck was born in the city v of Liege, a name that will ever be honoured in the history of European civilisation. As a musician he is considered i to be virtually' the founder of the brilliant French school. Like many great men in other forms of composition, lie lived almost in hermit seclusion in his life, which was more than tinged with sadness, but he has given of tho best in good and beautiful sound to mankind. Mr. Page has lmd much to do with the introduction of the music of this great man to the people of Wellington who have "the ears to hear and the hearts to '.understand," and the selection ho made for this special recital last night was of pieces which showed in various manifestations the genius of Cesar Franck.' He opened with tho first movement from the Symphony in D Minor, a composition of perfect beauty, declared to be the most, classical of modern symphonies, and admitted by all the great people of to-day in music to be one of the greatest symphonies ever written. As the Symphony mnrks an epoch in the work of the composer, no selection from his works would be> complete without it. Therefore Mr. Page did right to choose it, and having chosen it ho played it exceedingly well. He played, also two other pieces to show the variety, tho charm, the sublimity, the vitality, and the all-round splendour of this poet who wrote his fancies in music. Tho'recital was amopg the best that Mr. Page has ever given to the musical people of Wellington, for he has the skill and the understinding to tell, the poems of Cesar Franck as the great man would have had them told;